Jeju Island Korean BBQ and Sushi — Restaurant in Pearland

After waiting for this place to open for an entire year straight and driving by it the entire time it was being built, and being so excited for it to be a new local restaurant I just knew I would love, this was one of the weirdest experiences I've ever had at a restaurant like this. The staff treated me like a dumb baby, there's no other way to describe it. It was easily one of the most awkward lunches I've had in the last decade.

I first encountered Korean BBQ style restaurants when I lived in Japan for a few years about 15 years ago and I frequent them pretty often. Sometimes they're Japanese style, sometimes labeled Korean, whatever. They're very similar. This place was different in that there is no gas grill. It's an induction element that heats up under a plate and you get your raw food to place on the plate to cook. That's the draw. You get to cook your own food and order what you want.

I am pretty meticulous with how I operate with these. You're given two sets of tongs. I use one for raw ingredients and one for cooked. I only put what can fit on the grill in the middle of the table within reason and make sure each ingredient gets space and time to be cooked all the way. If it's a very thin slice of beef, it could only take 30 seconds per side. If it's a large thick piece of pork belly, it could take a few minutes per side. It definitely changes things depending on the cooking plates' heat level and that's where we started having problems.

The heat level started at 320F. I asked my waiter if it could be turned up because I had a slice of potato and some thin beef on there for over 20 minutes and I couldn't get anything to cook around the edges of the grill space. The center was all that worked. It was creating smoke for items in the middle like you would expect and the induction hood/hose over the plate wasn't working at all. The manager tried to tell us it was but it clearly was completely inoperable. There was nothing to pull any heat or smoke away from the grill surface, full stop.

The worst thing was that there were so many staff members that would just stop by and start messing with the grill controls while we actively told them to stop. This happened like nine or ten times. They kept coming over to turn the heat level down or turn it back up, or off, or back on on, whatever. At one point they turned our grill down to 100F and left it there. I really mean ONE HUNDRED DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. It was insane.

While some bulgogi chicken and pork belly were cooking some random woman came over and grabbed my "clean" tongs that I was using for meat that had already seen heat, meaning I was keeping it separate from the raw ingredients. She just grabbed them and started flipping things on our grill and yelling for a plate change, taking raw meat off and putting it on a random plate I had on the table. She just put a bunch of raw pork on a plate with a small stack of cooked beef and chicken I was about to eat. Bizarre. If I had tried to eat any of that I likely would have gotten pretty sick. Why did she do that?!?

Another issue occurred when we decided to order more than the original 1st order of raw meat. I had some bulgogi beef and some garlic chicken, potato, corn, and pineapple on the grill being cooked. When the 2nd set of raw meat came, one of the staff walked by and just picked up this full plate of raw meat and dumped it on the grill right in the middle of our table without asking or anything. An entire plate of raw beef just dumped directly onto a bunch of things that were already cooking without saying a word. I was completely dumbfounded. I have no words to describe my shock.

This place has some obvious growing pains. My total was about $120 for three people as I gave my main server a $20 tip since he did his best. It has been a very long time since I have felt this burned on an eating experience and it's going to be a while until I come back. This was not worth waiting a year for. I can actually say this experience was the biggest disappointment of 2024...

-:- Tasty and Awkward -:-

Growing pains are real. I have faith the crew here will figure themselves out.

The food is well seasoned, well presented, and very tasty. I have no critique for the kitchen. Both versions of bulgogi beef and the jeju beef were amazing! Everything that we ate was well seasoned and well-prepared.

The front of house staff needs to relax. Full stop. They mean well but are over the top.

Actual lessons to learn:

One server should touch the controls, only one. We had to ask to turn the heat up on our grill because 320F was not doing potato or corn any good at all, and about the time they started to show some color, someone else passed by and turned the temperature back down. Once, I would not have remembered: this happened repeatedly. We'd get the grill cooking and someone would turn it down, without a word. While I was trying to cook the last slice of pineapple, some helpful soul turned the temp down to 100F: nothing cooks at 100F. Not okay.

No one should dump a whole tray of meat on the grill as a lump. Not ever. Especially not while there is already food cooking on it. Part of the fun of Korean BBQ is cooking the sliced meat: placing it on the grill a piece at a time, turning it with care, and pulling it off when it is just right. It is not okay for a helpful soul to pour an entire plate of meat out on the grill in a lump and walk away. We had an awkward time rearranging the food on the grill to sort out that jumbled mess. Just no.

No one should remove a plate or touch tongs without asking. My spouse's food plate - the one for hot food from the grill - was removed in a flurry of activity while he was minding the grill and by the time he realized it was not the right plate, he had put cooked food on a plate that recently had raw on it. Yuck! That had to be researed and a new plate obtained. Also, we are very careful to handle raw meat with one pair of tongs and cooked meat with another, and a helpful soul came over and grabbed the raw-food tongs to try and turn our food for us without asking. We awkwardly shooed them away. Not okay. Let us cook our food.

For anyone who does not have experience cooking, or with a restaurant of this style, these behaviors will be less aggravating but more dangerous. I will definitely return in a few weeks or months, hoping the crew will have relaxed enough to let their...

Nestled in the heart of Pearland JEJU offers an authentic Korean BBQ experience that is not to be missed. I recently visited and ordered their prime rib, beef tongue, and octopus, and each dish exceeded my expectations.

Atmosphere: As soon as you step inside, you're greeted by a vibrant ambiance that feels both cozy and lively. The decor blends traditional Korean elements with modern touches, creating an inviting space perfect for friends and family gatherings.

Service: Jason our waiter was prompt and friendly. He walked us through the menu options, making recommendations and ensuring we had everything we needed to enjoy our meal to the fullest.

Food: Prime Rib: The prime rib was a standout, expertly marbled with fat. Grilled to perfection at our table, it was tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. Each bite was meltingly delicious and paired wonderfully with the dipping sauce they provided.

Beef Tongue: The beef tongue was equally impressive, sliced thinly and cooked to a perfect char. Its rich, buttery texture was complemented by a hint of smokiness, making it a dish that I could not stop eating.

Octopus: The octopus was beautifully presented and cooked perfectly. The tender, slightly chewy meat was seasoned just right. A perfect balance of spices brought out the natural sweetness of the seafood.

Conclusion: Overall, my experience at [Restaurant Name] was exceptional. The combination of quality ingredients, attentive service, and a warm atmosphere makes it a must-visit for anyone craving Korean BBQ. I wholeheartedly recommend it to fellow food lovers in search of an...